


Learning Her Secrets

by thehungryinvader



Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Canon-Compliant, F/M, Fluff, LOTS OF FLUFF ACTUALLY WHO AM I KIDDING, No Spoilers, Romance, Sexual Tension, enjoy another rushed fic by a stressed out college kid, even though the game's been out for like three years haha, hap birth nike, just a little
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-22
Updated: 2018-04-22
Packaged: 2019-04-26 12:50:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,346
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14402487
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thehungryinvader/pseuds/thehungryinvader
Summary: From the way that she first looked at him across the snowy plains on the day they met, Niles had a clue that Corrin knew him a lot better than she let on. That also meant that she knew more about him than he did about her.  He didn’t like that – and planned to change it.





	Learning Her Secrets

Niles wonders if Corrin _knows_.

She knows a lot of things, from the way his lip curls when Niles finds something particularly humorous (or lascivious, either one). She knows when he makes a kill and the target’s breath has barely left their body and the feeling that it gives him – relief? Euphoria? Maybe a little of both.

From the way that she first looked at him across the snowy plains on the day they met, Niles had a clue that Corrin knew him a lot better than she let on. That also meant that she knew more about him than he did about her.  He didn’t like that – and planned to change it.

 

* * *

  

Niles used to pride himself on knowing everything about another person before they could tell him themselves. Sometimes it’s trivial – Elise likes three lumps of sugar in her tea, with lots of milk. The youngest princess had been shocked when he pushed a cup over to her one day at teatime, the amount of sugar and milk in the beverage _just_ right. Silas double knotted his shoelaces. The Hoshidan ninja, Kaze, dog-eared the pages of his books; Selena always tied the pigtail on the right side of her head before the left; Xander pursed his lips when annoyed.

Sometimes it was things that a decent person didn’t bring up in decent company.

He watches the way Peri’s eyes roll up into her head in pleasure when she makes a kill, blood fresh, still warm, dripping from her lance. He knows that Odin has nightmares that keep him awake until dawn, from a past that even Niles can’t dig deep enough into.  
But Corrin is a mystery.

 

* * *

 

Niles has his own secrets, of course.

Who doesn’t? Sometimes he wakes up with a scream on his lips, grabbing at his empty eye socket, trying to stop something that’s already happened, long ago. He remembers a woman who used to sing to him, songs that he can’t place and tries to remember why she stopped. Niles remembers that he begged Leo to kill him when they first. It’s a secret they share together, one they don’t bring up.

Niles feels that he secrets may rip him to shreds one day, when he’s no longer strong enough to push them down. But it’s also what keeps him together.

 

* * *

 

 

He tries everything to make her lower her guard. He sneaks up on her, he flirts (rather shamelessly), says _the_ rudest things. One day he even leans in so close that they could kiss. Most people would lean back, put space between their bodies.

Corrin, however, looks right into his eyes. Doesn’t even flinch. Doesn’t even blink.

Niles’ breath catches, but he doesn’t break the gaze.

It’s a game of chicken – who would look away first?

It’s Corrin who chuckles and looks down, going back to her book. “I know exactly what you’re doing. Or at least, trying to do.”

Niles leans against the wooden table, arms crossed over his chest in an effort to slow his rapidly beating heart. “And what’s that, my lady?”

She idly turns a page. Her finger flits across the edge of the page before she turns her face to him; rests her chin in her palm. “You’re trying to learn all my secrets.”

Niles blinks.

Corrin smirks. “Quite frankly, I’m insulted that you’d try to worm them out of me. All you really have to do is ask. I’d tell you anything you’d like to know.”

Niles slides into the chair across from the princess. “All right. What’s your favourite colour?”

“Really?”

“Really.”

“Blue.”

“Very expected.”

“The sky is blue.”

“I’m aware.”

Corrin leans back in her chair. “When do you see the sky in Nohr, Niles? The real sky, not covered in clouds or during the night. I’m talking about the blue that comes out when it’s a sunny day and there’s not a cloud in the sky. I saw that blue a few times, from my bedroom winder in the tower I grew up in. The sky’s a lot more beautiful when you’re closer to it.”

Niles studies this girl, a girl he thought was just another girl, but in reality is so much more than that. With one word, he’d like a thousand more from her if it meant she would spill her thoughts to him. He doesn’t want to know things to use them against her. He wants to know because he really, truly _wants_ to know.

“Ask me something else,” Corrin says.

And he does.

 

* * *

 

 

They spend more and more time together. Corrin shows him her treehouse apartment and all of her books and the various flowers she presses between them. “One day,” she says idly, “I’d like to have one of every flower. From Nohr _and_ Hoshido.”

Niles finds himself searching the paths they march, looking for flowers for Corrin.

He shows her how to shoot, to put an arrow in the dead center of the target. He corrects her form here and there. Lowers her elbow, raises her chin. “Both eyes open,” he tells her as she shuts one eye, the irony of the advice not lost on him. Niles steps behind her, so close he can feel the heat of her body. Leans in, close, like that day in the library. But this time, he sees tiny hairs on the back of her neck stand up, and he whispers, “Focus.”

She is paying attention to _him_ , not the target – and that’s exactly what he wants. “Can I shoot?”

“Wait. Relax.”

Corrin exhales, shakily.

“Release.”

Corrin looses her arrow. It flies over the target and in the distance, they hear pottery shatter and a then an ensuing curse, which sounds suspiciously like Xander.

“Oh gods, run!” Corrin gasps, and before Niles can protest, she drops her bow and grabs his hand, tugging him away from the range. They run all the way back to her treehouse, where Corrin collapses on the woven carpet. Niles plunks down beside her and for a moment, the only sound is of them trying to catch their breath.

After a moment, Niles glances at Corrin, who meets his gaze.

She starts to giggle.

First it’s soft, then it turns into peals of laughter.  
Niles even starts to chuckle himself. He finds that before today, he can’t remember the last time he laughed.

Corrin shifts closer, and the back of her hand brushes his.

Niles turns his head, and they are close again, like that day in the library. He can see each individual eyelash, the soft curve of her cupid’s bow, a smattering of freckles across her pale skin.

“Kiss me?” Corrin murmurs, tilts her head up, her lips an offering.

Niles does. It’s gentle, soft, nothing like the kisses he’s given others in the past. Those were hard, demanding, with tongue and teeth. Those were the kisses he poured all his anger and hate into, each one drew blood just so he could see them bleed, each kiss was for him. Not for them. This kiss was for Corrin.

They break apart a moment later, and he notes with a bit of selfish male pride that the princess seems a little flustered by the kiss, but he doesn’t say anything.

Corrin leans in for another one, and this time Niles deepens the kiss, swiping his tongue teasingly across the seam of her lips, sucks her bottom lip into his mouth.

He reluctantly pulls away, and when he gets a good look at her, Corrin’s face is as red as a beet, but she’s smiling. The princess tucks a lock of Niles’ white hair behind ear, before leaning in again, tucking the curve of her body against his. Her lips brush his ear, and Niles feels his heart speed up as her breath fans across his skin.

“Ask me something,” Corrin whispers.

Niles closes his eye, takes a deep breath. “Do you love me?”

He feels her smile against his skin, and he knows his answer – a secret she’s kept from him, willingly shared.

All he had to do was ask.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Just another birthday fic <3 Hope you guys liked it! For some reason I changed the verb tenses sooooo many times before I settled - if there's any issues, please let me know and I will fix them <3  
> And as always, please leave a comment since I need validation. Even if it's "good" because I will take it and RUN WITH IT. (￣▽￣*)ゞ


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